Transfer mechanism



y 13, 1947- A. A. CAMPBELL TRANSFER MECHANISM Original Filed July 7,1941 SYVUMM .Alv-i'n A. Campbell @MMJMM Patented May 11%, 1947 2,420,299TRANSFER MECHANISM Alvin A. Campbell, Hackettstown, N. J.

Original application July 7, 1941, Serial No. 401,335. Divided and thisapplication January 27, 1945, Serial No. 574,944

(Granted under the. act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) 4 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a transfer or feeding mechanism for automaticloading machines and this application constitutes a division of mycopending application filed July '7, 1941, bearing Serial Number 401,335and entitled Automatic loading machine.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide a novelconstruction of transfer or feed mechanism for use in conjunction withand as a part of the automatic loading machine, above referred to, forfeeding pellets of explosives to shells being loaded by the machine.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide anautomatic transfer mechanism which will operate efliciently .to feedpellets, at predetermined intervals of time, to shells carried by aconveyor means, the latter being operated intermittently to move theshells into and out of positions to be loaded.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereafter become morefully apparent from the following description and the drawings, whichillustrate a preferred embodiment therefore, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical, substantially central sectional view, partly inelevation, of one unit of the transfer mechanism of the above mentionedmachine;

Figure 2 is fragmentary top plan view, partly broken away;

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view takensubstantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken substantiallyalong the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views, for the purpose of illustrating the use of the transfermechanism, constituting the present invention and which will hereafterbe described, certain parts disclosed and fully covered in my co-pendingapplication, heretofore referred to, and which form no part of thisinvention, have been illustrated and will be described briefly herein tomore fully disclose a preferred use of this invention. These partsinclude among others, a portion of an endless conveyor designatedgenerally I formed of parallel chains one of which is shown at 2 and towhich are connected shell holder-s 5 having openings extendingtherethrough forming seats 8 for containing shells I to be loaded.

The present invention includes a feed tube II the lower end of whichtelescopes into the upper end of a feed tube I2 which tube, in turn,extends through and. is detachably connected to a support I3. Support I3is disposed above and supported by a table 50 to the upper surface ofwhich is fastened a plurality of cover plates 50a. A feed tube It has anupper section which is connected to and supported by one of the plates56a and it will be readily apparent that each of the plates 55a issimilarly adapted to support a tube or conduit I4. The upper section ofthe tube It is provided with a flared mouth fitting I5.

A plurality of horizontal lever arms I8 are fulcrumed on the support I3as levers of the first order by the bolts I9, and are pivotallyconnected at corresponding arms thereof to an operating shifter bar 21,as seen in Figures 2 and 4, which is reciprocated by a fluid motor 26for oscillating the levers I8.

It will be understood that a conduit Il, I2 and M is associated witheach lever and that a battery of any number of levers I3 can beconnected to and oscillated by connecting rod 27.

The arm I8a of each lever I8 opposite the bar 21 is disposed above thetable 50 and beneath the discharge end of one of the tubes I2. Apedestal 28d (Fig- 4) projects upwardly from each plate 58a todetachably support a platform I! beneath each arm I8a and beneath theoutlet end of each conduit I2.

A finger or detachable arm section 22 extending generally longitudinallybeside the lever I8 at its right hand side in Figure 2 is pivotallyconnected intermediate of its ends to each arm lSa, between its free endand the pivot I9, by means of a pivot pin 2|. The outer clamp end 24 ofeach finger 22 extends slightly beyond the extremity of the respectivearm I 8a and is provided with a substantially semi-circular inwardlyopening recess and the adjacent portion of the arm lea is provided witha complementary recess, which recesses combine to form a substantiallycircular opening 20, adjacent the free end of arm 88a. The opposite end25 of the finger 22 and the complementary portion of lever I8 areprovided with opposed socket portions to receive an expansion spring 23which bears against end 25 for urging said end away from the arm I8 toswing the opposite end 24 toward lever I8a. Arm l8a. is provided with anenlargement at its free end which extends in a clock-wise directiontherefrom, as seen in Figure 2, and which forms a shield l8b, forpurpose which will hereinafter be described.

Referring particularly to Figure 4, a standard 28a extends into anddetachably engages each pedestal 28d and functions to detachably mountthe platform ll which is supported by said pedestal 28d. Each standard28a is provided with a head 28b having a threaded opening extendinghorizontally therethrough for adjustably receiving a bolt 28 which isretained in its adjusted position therein by means of a pair of lockednuts 280. Each of the bolts 28 forms a stopand is disposed to engage theextremity of one finger portion 24 when the lever I8 is at initial orreceiving position, for a purpose which will hereinafter be explained. Abolt 30 is similarly associated with each arm l3 and is supported by astandard 30a, having a head 30b, and a pedestal 30d and is adjustablyfixed by locked nuts 300. Each bolt 38 also forms a stop and is disposedto engage one of the finger ends 25.

As seen in Figure 1, the tubes l2 and i i are axially offset relativelyto one another and the platform IT is disposed beneath the tube l2 andto one side of the tube 14. Tubes H and I2 are adapted to convey pellets53 of explosives by gravity toward the platform il and said pellets maybe supplied or fed to tube l l in any suitable manner, not shown.- Withmotor 26 in operation, levers IB'will each be oscillated on their pivotI9, and said levers, in Figure 2, are shown in their normal initial orreceiving positions at one extremity of their travel and from whichpositlon they are swung in a counter-clock-Wise direction. Each arm I8a,as thus disposed, has its opening 20 positioned directly beneath thedischarge end of the tube l2, which it is associated with, and directlyabove the platform [1, with which it functions. With the arm l8a thuspositioned, the stop 23 engages the terminal of the clamping fingerportion'24 of said arm and swings it away from the arm 18a to enlargethe opening 20, and permit one of the pellets 53 to drop therethroughand come to rest on the platform H. The pellet 53, when thus disposed,will extend upwardly through the opening 20 so that its upper surface isflush with or slightly above the upper surface of the arm I811. As thearm I8a commences its movement counter-clock-wise, the tip of the fingerportion 24 will move out of engagement with stop 28 permitting thespring 23 to expand and move the finger 22 in a clockwise directionrelatively to the arm l8, thus moving'outer clamp end 24 toward arm I8to restrict the opening 20 and thereby cause the finger portion 24 andthe adjacent portion of the arm [8a to move into gripping engagementwith the pellet 53 for supporting the pellet when said pellet is slidoff of the platform IT by the oscillation of arm l8a. As said armapproaches the other limit of its movement, finger portion 25 will moveinto engagement with stop 30 and be moved. thereby against the action ofspring 23 toward arm l8, rocking finger 22 in a counterclock-wisedirection, relative to arm I Be, and moving finger portion :24 away fromarm 18a to thereby enlarge opening 20 so as to release the pellet 53. Atthis point the opening 25 is disposed above the flared mouth l of thetube l4, which is associated with feed lever l8, to allow the pellet 53to fall by gravity through tube l4 and into the shell I which isdisposed therebeneath. As the opening 20 moves out of registry with tubel2 the shield 18b will moveinto position beneath the discharge end oftube l2 and is of sufiicient length and proper shape to close saiddischarge end and prevent another pellet 53 from dropping out of thetube I2 until the opening 20 is againin registry therewith. Thus, itwill be seen, that shield ltb functions as a valve for closing the lowerend of tube [2 during most of the movement of arm I811. As the arm l8aapproaches the limit of its movement in a clockwise direction the tip ofportion 24 will again engage the stop 28 to enlarge the opening 20 forreceiving another pellet 53, preparatory to repeating the operationpreviously described.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an automatictransfer or feed mechanism for delivering a predetermined quantity of amaterial to a container into which the material is to be loaded and thatthe feeding operation is performed intermittently by the mechanism.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, providing they fall within the spirit. and scope of theinvention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only apreferred embodiment. of the invention has been illustrated and;described.

t should be noted that the platform IT: is elevated above the tablecover plate- 50 a distance which is about equal to the verticaldimension or length of the cylindrical pellets 53 shown, and that theflared part of the mouth opening in'the fitting [5- is conical and equalto. the length of the pellet, with its sides at a small: angle to theaxis of the tube therebelow. The manner in which the gripping finger,the height:

of the platform "and the-slight inclination of the sides of the mouthopening are coordinated contributes to prevention of pellets frombecoming lodged across'the openingof the tube I4.

Thus, the pelletis gripped. while at a high level: above the tube, andreleased so as to'become' free in the air above the fitting l5. Ittends= to fall while maintained onavertical axis; and. if it strikes theside of the opening,- it will have its center of gravity well within avertical:projection of the opening at customary speeds of operation ofsuch apparatus, and its downward momentum will set up correctingresultants ofs force and motion by whichthe'pellet becomes alined withthe tube I 4;

I claim:

1. In a machine for loading pellets of explosive material into shells ata loading station, a pellet feeding mechanism comprising a lowerfeedltube for delivering pellets to the shells, an upper pellet feedingtube offset from and spaced above the lower tube, a platform below andaxially aligned= with the upper tube for temporarily supporting thepellets as they come from the upper'tube, and stopping short of avertical projection of" thelower tube, an arm oscillatablehorizont'ally'close below the upper feed tube and over said platform*from an initial position in alignment with the upper tube to a deliveryposition in alignment finger pivoted intermediatelyof its length on thatside of said arm which is in the direction of themovement of the armfrom initial position-towards said delivery position and having a recesstherein adjacent its outer end opposite andcom-- plementary to therecess'in said'arm, said outer end exposed beyond" the path of saidmovement" of the arm, the space between said recesses being such as toallow a pellet to pass from said upper tube through said recesses toreach said platform at open position of the finger when the arm is ininitial position, spring means urging the recessed end of the grippingfinger toward said arm, a member fixed adjacent the upper tube in thepath of said exposed end of said finger arranged to engage the grippingfinger when the arm is in initial position to stop the gripping portionof the finger on approach of the arm to said initial position and holdthe gripping portion away from the arm to permit the passage of pelletsthrough said recesses and to grip a received pellet on departure frominitial position, and a member fixed adjacent the lower tube in the pathof said arm and the inner end of said finger to engage the latter onapproach of the arm to said delivery position to release the pellet overthe lower tube under oscillation of said arm.

2. A feeding mechanism as in claim 1, said means being adjustable forvarying the positions where the pellet will be gripped and released,

3. A feeding mechanism comprising an oscillating arm, a finger pivotallyconnected thereto, spring means urging a portion of the finger intogrippin engagement with a portion of the arm, means for moving saidfinger out of gripping engagement with the arm when the arm is at thelimits only of its movement, so that the arm and finger will grip anelement to be conveyed on departure from one position during the travelof the arm and release the element at a delivery point in the travel ofthe arm, and a fixed platform disposed beneath said arm, alined with theinitial position of the arm and stopping short of the opposite limit ofits movement, for supporting the element to be conveyed until it isengaged by the arm and finger adjacent said initial position, and toclear said element when released at the opposite limit of movement ofthe arm, a feed tube over said initial position, a lower receiving tubehaving a flared mouth part at said delivery point, said platform beingelevated above the lower tube a distance which is not less than half thevertical dimension of the said element to be conveyed.

4. In an article feeding device, a platform, an

article receiver below and ofiset from the platform, feed means toposition articles successively on said platform in an initial position,a horizon tally oscillatable lever pivoted adjacent the platform havingan arm movable across the platform from an initial limit beside saidinitial position of articles opposite the receiver, article grippingmembers on the arm movable toward and from each other, one of saidarticle gripping members comprising a portion of said arm arranged toextend radially beyond said initial position of articles, the other ofsaid gripping members being a finger pivoted intermediately of itslength on the arm, its outer end movable to lie at the far side of saidinitial position of articles when the arm is at said initial limit, theouter end of said finger exposed beyond the path of the arm, springmeans urging the finger toward the arm, a stationary member fixed in thepath of said exposed end of the finger adjacent said initial position toengage and stop the finger spaced from the arm to receive an articlebetween the gripping members from said feed means, whereby to grip suchpellet on departure of the arm from said initial unit, and a stationarymember fixed in the path of the inner end of the finger to engage andstop the latter on approach to said delivery position so as to releasean engaged article over the said article receiver.

ALVIN A. CAMPBELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

